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Turkey Jook garnished with Chinese Parsley
Jook (also called “Chook” and Congee) is a rice porridge soup introduced to Hawaii by Chinese immigrants during the plantation era. It’s now a local tradition to make this soup after Thankgiving with the leftover turkey. Other variations exist such as Chicken (Gai Jook). Also pork and beef, though turkey is by far the most popular version in Hawaii. I’d say it’s like the asian version of Chicken Noodle Soup. Served either as an appetizer, main dish or late night “snack”, it’s the perfect dish to sooth the soul on a cool Hawaiian winter night.
Jook
Serving size: A small army or several hungry Jook fans
Soup:
• Turkey bones (the whole carcass, including some meat still on)
• Turkey meat (whole leftover meat, white and dark), roughly cut into bite-size pieces
• Rice (white medium grain, regular ‘kine like Hinode), rinced, uncooked) - 5-10 cups, depending on size of pot
• Ginger, roughly chopped - 1 large finger
• Chung Choi (preserved salted turnip) You can find this in the asian section of any supermarket in the dry section. Chopped rough (leave the salt on) - 1-2 pieces
• Peanuts (raw, peeled) - amount at your discretion
• Water - enough to cover bones and fill pot
• Cooking Oil - 2 oz. (1/4 cup)
• Hawaiian Salt
Garnishes (see below)
*Keep the pot stirred throughout the steps of this recipe to prevent the bottom from burning.
Turkey bones from a whole turkey (this is actually from 2 turkeys in a VERY LARGE stock pot)
(1.) Brown the turkey bones in large stock pot on stove, using a little cooking oil so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. This should take about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Browning (don’t burn them!) helps bring out the flavor of the stock.
Roughly slivered fresh ginger (skin still on) and Chung Choi (that round, rolled up stuff)
Basic Jook soup stock simmering
(2.) Once the turkey bones are browned a bit, throw in the slivered fresh Ginger and chopped Chung Choi, then fill the stock pot with hot tap water almost to the top. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low and simmer for at least 2 hours. The longer it simmers, the more flavor you’ll extract out of the bones and ginger. Remove any foam and excess oil off the top (if any) using a large spoon.
Strain all broth ingredients through colander
(3.) After several hours, the broth should have a nice golden yellow and brown color. Now transfer the broth to another stock pot the same size by pouring it through a colander. You MUST remove all the bones, ginger and chung choi by catching it in the colander and discard. These have given up all their flavor and are no longer of value in the Jook.
Rice will add the body to the Jook
(4.) Before adding the raw rice, adjust the strained stock with Kosher or Hawaiian Salt to taste. Remember you can always add, but you can’t subtract, so go gradually until the broth has a full-bodied flavor. If in doubt, slightly undersalt it and adjust it when the Jook is at its final stage. (5.) Now you add the raw rice at a ratio of approximately 1 cup rice per 3-4 quarts of water, depending how thick you like your jook. (6.) This is also the time to add leftover pieces of turkey meat (not the stuff that came out of the turkey stock!). Continued simmering will “loosen” the meat and allow it to distribute in shreds throughout the pot. It will take at least an hour more for the rice to puff up and thicken the Jook. If it seems too “loose”, you can add more (previously cooked) rice and simmer it a bit longer until you reach a slightly desired porridge-like thickness. Make a final taste test and adjust by adding more salt if necessary.
(7.) Serve and enjoy.
Jook tastes great on its own, but it is truly outstanding when you add a variety of garnishes and condiments at the time of serving. Never add these items into the pot. Place a spread of prepared items in small serving bowls at the table and let each person select their own, which they place as toppings in their own Jook bowl and eat with each spoonful.
Here’s a few suggestions…
Garnishes
• Chinese Parsley (a.k.a. Cilantro), rough chopped with stems and/or whole leaves
• Green Onions, chopped
• Chung Choi, rinse salt off and chop fine
• Water Chestnuts, drained and chopped
• Cashews (unsalted), chopped
• Lettuce, shredded
• Won Bok Cabbage, shredded
• Shoyu
The garnish and condiment possibilites are up to you.. be creative! Anything from small cubes of Tofu to Bean Sprouts to Japanese Tsukemono to various other types of nuts would work well. Think opposing flavors and textures and it’d likely work really well with Jook. It’s a very flexible dish
A hearty spoonful of Jook with Chinese Parsley garnish and some turkey meat as a bonus! Notice how the rice (that white stuff) has puffed up, gelatinized and thickened the broth.
*In case you might ask, YES, this entire demonstration and bowl of Jook was prepared by yours truly.
Zippy’s has become an institution for generations of folks living on Oahu. They’ve evolved over the years from plate lunch stand to family diner to bakery and everything in between.
Of all the great food served here, the superstar of them all is the Chili. Due to numerous fundraiser advertising campaigns and just an overall well-done recipe, the chili embodies the simplicity, consistency and great taste that Zippy’s is known for. As the TV commercial goes, “The Chili’s Good”. This is certainly true.
Another signature item is the Zip Pac…
Zip Pac: Teriyaki Beef, Spam, Mahimahi & Fried Chicken on Rice with Furikake and Daikon - $7.40
Half plate lunch and half bento, the Zip Pac underlines Zippy’s ability to satisfy just about everyone. I would say if you’re new to the islands, put the Zip Pac on your culinary “to do” list, as it gives you a good scope of what eating “local” is all about. There’s also one called the Surf Pac, which is priced even higher at $8.10, but I’d stick with the Zip Pac. The fried chicken is one of the best on the island, and the panko-battered mahimahi is tender and moist. I think what really makes it taste so good is the Furikake on the rice, which suprisingly very few plate lunch restaurants do, considering how relatively cheap this flavorful rice condiment is. The Zip Pac is relatively overpriced as far as bentos or plate lunches are concerned, but satisfaction is almost a guarantee.
Zippy’s has locations all over Oahu, which are all corporate-owned, not franchised. Because of that, as said above, they have a coveted reputation for quality and consistency. All their restaurants are clean well staffed and maintained. Most locations include a take-out counter and dine-in restaurant, as well as Napoleon’s Bakery which is famous for their “Napples”, a filo-wrapped apple turnover.
Menu items include everything from plate lunches, soups, burgers, sandwiches and salads. They also have a comprehensive website that ships many of their signature items in frozen packages.
1225 Hopaka St. 591-0253
Side Street Inn is one those hidden gems you’d assume only a seasoned Honolulu city slicker would know about. Tucked off the beaten path in an industrial area near, but not in sight of Ala Moana Shopping Center, their name truly implies what it is.
The crowd is mostly a mixture of white and blue collar working class locals. Yet among them, you’ll find a few adventurous tourists “in” on this “Side Street” secret (no pun intended). In fact, I hadn’t even heard of this place just a few years ago until we met a group of commercial airline pilots (from the mainland) at another restaurant in Ala Moana Shopping Center who asked about it. “Side Street where?” I asked them. Not even our waitress at the time had heard of it. Eventually some publicity in the newspapers and tv covered them and word spread, which explains the driving crowds that now flood in. Celebrity chefs such as Alan Wong and Roy Yamaguchi are known to frequent here due to the low-key location and ono ‘kine grinds.
As you can see in that photo above, the outside is quite unassuming. Blink and you just might miss it driving by. Composed of several rooms with separate entrances, once you enter, you’re reminded just how popular this place is; especially during the 4-8pm pauhana (finished work) hours.
Being as much sports bar as they are restaurant, there’s massive LCD wide screen TVs throughout, with smaller CRT monitors filling the void in each corner. We were there during Monday night NFL football, which was broadcasted live by satellite. Reception and sound was crystal clear, yet not so loud as to drown out our conversation. One look at the setup and you can tell this was formerly a hostess bar; in fact, several of their neighbors are that.
The food at SSI is local all the way. The menu is designed “family style” for the whole table to dig in pupu (finger food) style. One of their most popular dishes is the Pork Chops…
Pork Chops $9.50 (half-order)
Notice how it’s served simply with ketchup. Now ‘das local to da’ max! They’re simply seasoned with salt and pepper and rolled in corn starch and pan fried to juicy perfection (well that’s how my girlfriend assumes they make it). They then cut the meat part of the bone into bite size slices with the bones on the side to nibble on later (dibs on that!). We thought they were a bit salty, but it was bearable and much better than bland. Overall moist, tender and delicious.
Our table of three (girlfriend, gf’s friend and yours truly) also ordered the Chinese Chicken Salad….
Chinese Chicken Salad $7.50
The basics with everything you’d expect on this type of salad, including the crispy wonton strips. Everything was fresh and well balanced. There’s easily enough here as a side dish to serve about 4 people. As an entree you might get away serving two.
Crispy Wontons $8.50
These wontons were our favorite dish of the night. Generously stuffed with pork mixture that had a slightly different twist than your normal Chinese type, but I can’t pinpoint what it was. I’ll just say they’re ONO. Order that and you won’t be disappointed. It’s served with a generous dollup of Coleman’s Mustard in a container, which you mix in shoyu to your own degree of heat. We like it “clear the sinus” hot! In fact, that mustard-shoyu also tasted supah ono with the pork chops dipped in it!
Furikake Rice $2.75
Of course gotta’ have da’ rice. Plain white with Furikake (seaweed, sesame seed and bonito seasoning) on top. It seemed bowls of these were being handed out among patrons every other minute. Only in Hawaii. lol
That’s all we ordered for the night, which was more than enough to accompany a few cold ones that we also enjoyed. Of course this is just scratching the surface as far as the menu is concerned. There are so many other great items to order here, from their ever-popular sizzling ribeye steak, to poke, to saimin. Really, something for everyone. During happy hour, bottled import beers are $4.00 (IIRC), and they also have a full-service bar.
Parking is limited on the street, but they do offer ($3 + tip) valet service after 5pm. There’s also a paybox lot next to them that costs $5 flat nightly fee. Certainly arrive early (before 5 for best seating), come hungry and thirsty, because da ono pupus and fun crowd is what it’s all about at Side Street Inn.
Side Street Inn
1225 Hopaka St. (turn off Piikoi or Kapiolani
Tasty Island Rating:
Note: Sorry about the photos, as the lighting and seating situation wasn’t ideal, and my flash overexposed them.
Grandfather and grandson pose with their catch: a Pacific Blue Marlin (a.k.a. Kajiki or A’u) and a Mahimahi (Dolphin Fish).
How many restaurants can you name that serve fish caught by their own boats, brought in fresh daily right up to their own dock right on the restaurant’s waterfront location? The Shack in Hawaii Kai is one of those lucky few that have this luxury.
It was just another day at the office for Captain John and 1st Mate Nate aboard “Honey Girl”, sister ship to Shack Attack Sport Fishing Charters out of The Shack Restaurant in Hawaii Kai. Along for the fishing trip was a family from Maryland.
I happened to be there this past Saturday afternoon, having just finished watching the UH Warriors clobber the Utah Aggies 63-10. Honey Girl landed at approximate 3pm. I was able to chat with “grandma”, who paid for the fishing trip as a birthday present to her grandson (the young man in photo above). Very nice lady. You could tell everyone aboard had an exciting and fun day.
A full day of fishing on The Shack Attack costs $700 for up to 6 people. With that, you’re allowed to keep 20% of your catch, and the Shack will also cook it and serve it for dinner at their waterfront restaurant.
Even if you didn’t spend a day out fishing with them, you can still enjoy a wonderful dinner of fresh-off-the boat (depending on availability) Marlin, Ahi, Mahimahi or Ono. My favorite is the Ono. You can opt for Lemon Pepper, Dijon or Teriyaki style, flame-grilled to order. A well-portioned fillet, along with rice or fries and a salad for just $13.99 is a really good deal. I didn’t order a plate to show you, as I was already full from some fries and a Swiss ‘N Shroom Burger. Next time I’ll order it and retrofit the photo here.
Click on the following photo to view a complete pictorial of the catch, including Nate putting his expert fish cutting skills to work on the marlin.
Warning: Some images contain graphic content (fish blood and guts). Viewer discretion is advised
Captain John of Honey Girl Fishing Charter and 1st Mate Nate of Shack Attack Sport Fishing Charter strike a pose. Click photo to view fish cutting slideshow.
Currently there’s a problem on this site with the commenting feature, which looks like a CSS (cascading style sheets) issue. To all the valued visitors here, your comments are greatly appreciated. Hopefully I’ll figure out how to restore it via WordPress.
I apologize for any inconvenience.
Mahalo, Pomai
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